1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a position measurement probe for mutual alignment of bodies and a process for efficient application of such a position measurement probe.
2. Description of Related Art
A position measurement probe of the initially mentioned type is known from published International Patent Application Document No. WO 97/21980 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,195,615 which resulted from the U.S. National Phase thereof, in which it is described how the mutual alignment of bodies, especially parallel alignment of shafts, rollers, or the like, can be greatly facilitated and accelerated by first determining a reference direction using a first body by means of a high-precision measurement device, and storing it as a comparison value with reference to a suitable coordinate system. In a subsequent measurement process with the same position measurement probe, the alignment of a second body is determined in a high precision manner, so that errors in mutual alignment of these bodies can be detected by comparison, i.e., subtraction of the acquired measurement results. Other bodies can be checked in the same way in subsequent measurements. Following the comparison of the measurement results, correction of the alignment of these bodies can be performed, the choice of a suitable reference direction being essentially optional. According to U.S. Pat. No. 6,195,615, however, it is not specified how the device should be made externally or which particular boundary conditions in its operation must be observed to carry out the process in the best possible and most efficient manner.
Another position measurement probe of the type to which the invention is directed is known from published German Patent Application No. DE 19800901.1 which, as a result of the measurement principle proposed there, can have an extremely small structural shape, and accordingly, can be provided with an ergonomically configured handle for simplified operation. However, in spite of the improvements described in DE 19800901.1, a more extensive teaching is lacking with respect to the details of the device and particulars of the process, by means of which the most accurate measurement results possible can be achieved in an especially prompt and efficient manner.